FirefinderFire lookouts of the US

Fire lookout · Johnson County, Wyoming

Sheep Mountain Lookout

An L-4 cab on a stone base above Buffalo, Wyoming, approved in 1941 but not finished until 1950; staffed only in emergencies, now a popular Recreation.gov rental.

Visit & stay

You can rent this lookout for overnight stays through recreation.gov.

Season
June 15 through October 20

Overview Perched atop a forested mountain, the historic Sheep Mountain Fire Lookout offers a unique recreation experience -- one of few fire lookouts in the region available for overnight rental. Constructed in 1950 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) atop Sheep Mountain at an elevation of 9,600 feet, the lookout was historically occupied as a fire lookout until the early 1970s. The lookout is available for rental from June 15 through October 20; however, access to the facility may be limited depending on snow accumulation. Guests are advised to call ahead to confirm access to the facility. Limited amenities are provided; please be prepared to pack in supplies and gear for a comfortable stay. Visitors are advised that this facility has always been a popular destination for recreational visitors to come and enjoy the views and historical nature of the area, therefore, solitude from other forest users may not be an option at this facility. Recreation The area surrounding the lookout offers endless opportunities for ATV riding, mountain biking, hiking, fishing or hunting. The lookout is also ideal for visitors who simply want to relax and enjoy stargazing, wildlife viewing, mountain streams and abundant wildflowers. Facilities This facility is primitive in nature. While a single vault toilet and one set of bunk beds are available, there is no running water, indoor plumbing or electricity. Basically, what is available are four sturdy walls, sound roof, no neighbors and commanding views from the lower quadrant of the Bighorn Mountains all the way out to South Dakota's forests. It is recommended that guests bring all their water and accommodations needed for overnight camping. This is a "pack-it-in, pack-it-out" facility; guests will need to carry out all trash and clean the facility prior to leaving. Natural Features Besides offering the unique experience of staying in a historical fire lookout, Sheep Mountain Lookout will provide visitors with panoramic views from the mountain peaks in the Cloud Peak Wilderness all the way out through the Powder River Basin. On a clear day, visitors can see to Devils Tower National Monument. Due to the high elevation, guests should be prepared for high altitude conditions including high winds. Summertime temperatures average 70 degrees, but can drop as low as 30 degrees at night or during thunderstorms. Nearby Attractions The town of Buffalo, Wyoming, is located within a 45 minute drive for amenities such as grocery stores, swimming pool, historic downtown and a museum.

Book on recreation.gov

Rental details from recreation.gov, checked 19 Oct 2026. Rules, fees and seasons change, so confirm on the booking page before you go. Data source: ridb.recreation.gov

Access

Open to the public. Overnight rental via Recreation.gov, June 15-October 20, snow permitting; $50/night reported in 2024 news coverage.

Can you climb it?
Unknown
Road to the top?
Unknown
Staffing
Staffed only in emergencies (as of 1950s-1970s)

Facts

Status
Standing
Type
Two-story buildingL-4 cab on 10-foot stone base, with catwalkThe design: L-4
Built of
WoodGoing by its design; no source says so in words.
Built
1941
Height
Unknown
Elevation
9,553 ft (2,912 m)
Agency
U.S. Forest Service, Bighorn National Forest
Land
Federal land
Location
Johnson County, Wyoming
Coordinates
44.19123, −107.00471
This entry
VerifiedResearched, then checked independently. Updated 19 Oct 2026.
Firefinder id
us-wy-sheep-mountain

View from the cab

What you see from the cab: every ridge out to about 93 miles, the named peaks in sight, and other fire lookouts within view, worked out from terrain data in your browser.

Downloads about 3.6 MB of terrain data the first time.

Or see what it could see on the map: the ground in its line of sight.

History

Then and now

  1. 1941 BuiltConstruction plans approved in 1941, before the cab itself was built.Source: nhlr.org
  2. 1950 BuiltLookout completed. A tourism listing and a reprint newspaper piece attribute construction to the CCC, but the Civilian Conservation Corps had been disbanded by 1942, so that attribution is doubtful.Sources: nhlr.org, recreation.gov, wyomingnews.com
  3. No record between 1950 and 1970
  4. 1970 Last staffedOccupied as a fire lookout until 'the early 1970s' per the Recreation.gov listing; exact year not given.Source: recreation.gov
  5. No record between 1970 and 2000
  6. 2000 Added to the National Historic Lookout RegisterRegistered September 1, 2000 as US 352 / WY 8.Source: nhlr.org
  7. 2014 Opened as a rentalPlaced on the Forest Service rental program.Source: firelookout.org
  8. TodayStandingIt still stands, as far as our sources know.

Old maps of this spot

USGS topographic maps from the years a lookout stood may show it, often as a small symbol labelled “Lookout”. See the old topo maps around it on the Firefinder map, or find every scanned sheet of this spot on USGS TopoView (click the spot there to list them, with dates and downloads).

Story

Researched 4 Oct 2026, fact-checked.

Sheep Mountain Lookout stands on a windswept peak in the Bighorn National Forest, about 18 miles southwest of Buffalo, Wyoming, at roughly 9,600 feet.1,2 It's a classic Rocky Mountain lookout: an L-4 cab on a ten-foot stone base, with a catwalk running around the cab.1,2 Plans for it were approved in 1941, but the building wasn't finished until 1950.1 The Forest Service's own history of the Bighorn's lookouts gives the same 1950 completion date.3 A tourism listing and a Wyoming newspaper piece both credit the Civilian Conservation Corps with building it that year, but the CCC had been disbanded for about eight years by 1950, so that detail is worth treating with some caution rather than as settled fact.4,5

The lookout wasn't staffed every season. A fire-lookout reference site run by enthusiast Rex Kamstra lists its duty status as "Emergency," meaning it was watched only when fire danger was high rather than continuously.2 It kept watch over the surrounding forest until the early 1970s, when its fire-spotting role ended.4 It was entered on the National Historic Lookout Register on September 1, 2000, as US 352 / WY 8 — one of only three fire lookouts still standing on the Bighorn, along with High Park and Black Mountain.1,6

The lookout still stands and remains Forest Service property.1,6 It's rented out through Recreation.gov from June 15 to October 20, snow permitting, for about $50 a night.4,5 It's bare-bones inside: one set of bunk beds, a vault toilet, no running water or electricity, and a view that reaches out to the Cloud Peak Wilderness and, on a clear day, Devils Tower.4 It's popular enough that bookings fill up months ahead.5

  1. Sheep Mountain Lookout, National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org), http://nhlr.org/lookouts/us/wy/sheep-mountain-lookout/ (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  2. Sheep Mtn. Fire Lookout Tower, firelookout.com, https://www.firelookout.com/wy/sheepmtn.html (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  3. Historic Fire Lookouts, Bighorn National Forest, USDA Forest Service, https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/bighorn/recreation/discover-history/historic-fire-lookouts (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  4. Sheep Mountain Fire Lookout, Bighorn National Forest, Recreation.gov, https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/118991 (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  5. Wyoming US Forest Service cabins in high demand as getaways, Wyoming News/Casper Star-Tribune (rocketminer), https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/wyoming-us-forest-service-cabins-in-high-demand-as-getaways/article_fe4fb08b-b3cd-52bf-905a-a8cbee78f9c9.html (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩
  6. Wyoming Lookout Structures list, Forest Fire Lookout Association (firelookout.org), https://firelookout.org/lookouts/us/wy/ (accessed 2026-10-04). ↩

Photos

Sheep Mountain Lookout
Sheep Mountain LookoutPhoto: Bighorn National Forest, via National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved · source
Sheep Mtn. in 2003
Sheep Mtn. in 2003 (2003)Photo: the U.S. Forest Service, via firelookout.com · source

Photos keep their own rights and are shown with credit. Is one of these yours? You can ask for a different credit or for removal.

Sources

  1. National Historic Lookout Register (NHLR) Gave us: name, location, county, elevation, register numbers, agency, dates, photos, links National Historic Lookout Register (nhlr.org) · All rights reserved (American Resources, Inc.); facts extracted only, no prose copied. · retrieved 4 Oct 2026
  2. Forest Fire Lookout Association (FFLA) - US lookout lists Gave us: type, status, register numbers, links Forest Fire Lookout Association (firelookout.org) · No licence stated; facts extracted only, no prose copied. · retrieved 8 Oct 2026
  3. Recreation Information Database (recreation.gov) Gave us: ownership, access, rental details, links Data source: ridb.recreation.gov · Public data from the US government · retrieved 19 Oct 2026
  4. Forest Fire Lookout Association: lookout rentals Gave us: rental details, links Forest Fire Lookout Association rentals list (firelookout.org) · No licence stated; facts extracted only (state, name, booking link, manager, closure note), no prose copied. The FFLA says it is not involved in managing any rental program. · retrieved 19 Oct 2026
  5. firelookout.com -- Rex Kamstra's Forest Fire Lookout Page Gave us: what it is built of, design, dates, photos, links firelookout.com · No licence stated on the site; facts only (coordinates, elevation, built/destroyed years, design, agency). Photos mirrored with the site's stated credit. · retrieved 4 Oct 2026
  6. Forest Fire Lookout Association chapter reports Gave us: dates, links Forest Fire Lookout Association, chapter and restoration-grant reports (firelookout.org) · No licence stated; facts only (dates, names, the kind of work done). Every note is our own wording and every event links to the FFLA report it comes from. Positions are copied from the NHLR, FFLOS and FFLA records. · retrieved 8 Oct 2026
  7. FOREST LOOKOUTS -- western US (Ron Kemnow's weebly sites) Gave us: links Ron Kemnow's Forest Lookouts sites (westlookouts, californialookouts, idaholookouts, montanalookouts, oregonlookouts and washingtonlookouts .weebly.com) · No licence stated; facts only (county, land manager, status word, coordinates where the page's own map widget gives them, township-range-section, height and design hints, links). The site's own newspaper quotes, citations and narrative are not reproduced. · retrieved 8 Oct 2026
  8. Firefinder research Gave us: summary, design, status, agency, access, staffing, visiting details, dates, links, fact-check Firefinder research (sources cited in the story footnotes) · Our own research notes; each fact cites its source in the lookout's story

More about this lookout elsewhere

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